Who Am I?

Hello everyone! I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to those who may not know me or haven’t yet come across my work on LinkedIn or YouTube. So, what’s my channel all about, and who am I?

Well, I grew up on a council estate in the early 60s—a time when life was a bit different from today, there was a great community but also a lot of violence, mainly racial. That period brought a fair share of challenges, and I witnessed a lot of traumatic events that I won’t delve into right now, as some were truly disturbing. Let’s just say those experiences have left me dealing with PTSD over the years. But let’s shift to something lighter.

In a way, those early years shaped who I am today and why I’ve always felt a calling to help others. Kindness, compassion, empathy, and resilience are my core values, which I express in my work as a former Reiki teacher, Stress Manager, a Master Practitioner of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), and through other courses in Kinesiology, Hypnotherapy, and, more recently, the transformative practices of Meditation, Stoic wisdom, and Mindfulness. These practices have helped me cope with life’s ups and downs, including my current financial challenges.

I know many out there are going through similar difficulties, especially in today’s unpredictable world, where I was accused of earning money and my benefits stopped for four months but now the DWP has said it was a mistake and is paying it back to the council but it almost put us on the street.

I would have preferred to work after my Health business collapsed during the COVID period so I am dealing with that now as you will see, officially I am unfit to work but I can see a future that I will talk about in a moment. Stoic wisdom helped because it taught me to live in the moment and only focus on what I can control and let go of the rest and that helped with stress so Shirley and I are just trying to focus on what we can control.

Family is also incredibly important to me, especially the traditional balance of male and female energies in raising children. I believe it helps provide a stable foundation for the next generation. I’ve been a father myself, and I’ve shared many stories on video, like when my son nearly died from a near cot death and other early experiences that made family life very stressful. There was even a time when I struggled deeply and considered ending it all—a selfish act, I’ll admit, but one I managed to move beyond. Later, I faced similar feelings when my business failed, and I lost everything, which took me back to that dark place. Despite all my work in NLP and other mental practices, I still found it difficult to resist the pull of despair.

Strangely, that experience would come full circle years later when I suffered two heart attacks—probably a result of all that accumulated stress. During one of those episodes, I had a near-death experience that was, believe it or not, quite beautiful. I didn’t want to come back. But a nurse’s touch brought me back to the present moment, and I realised I’d returned for a purpose: to help others. That’s why I’m here with this YouTube channel and on Linkedin, hoping to make a positive impact, even if it’s small.

There aren’t many viewers at the moment, which can be frustrating, but I’m not taking it personally. I’m here to support people with things like stress, anxiety, and sleep troubles—common struggles in today’s world. Speaking to an audience isn’t new for me; I used to work in radio, even hosting a breakfast show where I met some wonderful people like Barbara Windsor and Ronnie Barker. They were just regular people, really, which taught me a lot about people in general and made those days fun and memorable.

Aside from radio, I’ve done all sorts of ‘proper jobs’ over the years, which gave me insights into how people think and behave. That fascination with people led me into therapeutic work, and recently, I passed a Level 2 counselling qualification at college, which I hope to continue with as I approach retirement. At the moment, though, it’s been challenging to find work, and I’m navigating a tough financial crisis. We were let down by the DWP for months, which caused enormous stress, and even contributed to my wife, Shirley, suffering a stroke. I’m caring for her now and still looking for work, which is why I decided to pursue the counseling course—it just felt like the right path forward.

I’ve also run many workshops over the years and was once a regular speaker at a well-known therapy fair in Victoria, which was an incredible experience. So, this has just been a quick rundown of my journey. I could share so much more, but some stories are better left unsaid. Here I am, at 63, still hoping to make a difference with this channel—hoping to leave a legacy, however small, in a world that needs all the kindness it can get.

Thank you for taking the time to learn a bit about me. I promise not to go on about myself too often!

Cheers,

Gary